Red White and Werewolf

by Girl, Breukelen

  “Bg, this isn’t local werewolves having a knife fight over a boy. This isn’t like Gabby and you back home.” Paris says pacing along the back porch. “I can’t guarantee the outcome of this fight for you. That’s why I need you to trust me to get Markus for you and for you to listen to me, I’ve done this a little more than you and I’m asking you, no big risks. If we have to retreat, we retreat and we regroup and we go again.” Paris says quickly as he walks back over to me.

  “Five werewolves against an entire pack.” I state softly. “I don’t think we’ll get a second chance to grab Markus. I need to be prepared.” I say looking up at him. “I need you to be prepared.”

  Paris shakes his head and looks back at me. “Let me protect you Bg.”

  “Paris this isn’t about you redeeming yourself because you think you have to because of how I ended up here in the first place. I don’t need protecting, I need fighters, I need you to follow the game plan and to get my brother the hell out of there.”

  We stare off at each other.

  “I told you, I’ll get Markus. No matter what. But I’ll be looking out for you the whole time.” He says standing before me.

  “Same as always, then. So stop freaking out, control freak.” I smile at him, raising on my tip toes and kissing him. He presses his lips into me and I taste him inside me and want more, so instant is my reaction to him. Paris moans lightly and pulls away from me.

  “Did you just call me a control freak?”

  I chuckle lightly. “Not me. Must be someone else around here.” I say as his arms lapses and I take his hand pulling him back inside the house. “Come on, if we don’t hurry they’ll eat all the food and there will be none left.”

  “Everything alright?” I hear Xavier ask Paris as we return back inside.

  Paris slaps his uncle’s shoulder by way of answer and that’s the end of that question. After lunch, we say our goodbye to Xavier and Pensee, possibly for the last time, as they leave us again, to figure out just what the hell we’re going to do.

  40

  After lunch, Paris eyes trail my every move. He won’t let this go and he won’t let me go. Even as I wander off to Aubrey’s room to make a private phone call. I look up at him.

  “Do you mind? I need the privacy,”

  “From me?” He says standing in the doorway to her bedroom.

  “Yes.” His eyes narrow on me. I let out a heavy sigh. “I need to call my family and let them know what the situation is with Markus. I need to make sure everything is order and that if I, don’t come back,”

  “Bg,”

  “We, don’t make it back, that they know what has happened to Markus, where he is. At the very least.” I state back at Paris.

  Paris seems to think it over for a moment and then in silent agreement with me, leaves me to make the terrible phone call back home. The phone call goes about as well as could be expected. Which does nothing to elevate any anxiety or worry I am feeling.

  I try to relax as the day wears on. But it’s impossible. How do you relax when you know all that is ahead is a fight and that despite everything, you’re not really a fighter.

  My brother was able to rescue me when I was fourteen. Markus was able to do that because despite his pretty and casual exterior, he is driven by heart. But unlike me, he can fight, he has skills, better skills than me. Me, not so much.

  I will fight, but I know the reality of my abilities when it comes to hand to hand combat. I am no werewolf fighter like Markus, or Paris or any of the males I’m going to taking along with me tonight.

  It just never took with me, growing up. But when I have weapons, I can do pretty well for myself. And out of all the fighting I’ve done so far, Paris is right, I’ve never fought anyone like Norden and I hope to never again.

  I’ve never fought on this type of scale. I am a pack werewolf from Brooklyn New York. I scrap and claw and lash out. I use street smarts on blonde bimbos who have superiority complexes.

  I sigh, sitting down on the edge of Aubrey’s bed. I am so completely out of my depth, that the very idea of what I think I’m trying to achieve here, is insane. The reality is, I should just surrender myself to Norden in exchange for Markus. This would be the better probably the best option.

  “I’m coming Markus, I’m coming.” And I remember his presence in the dreamscape last night and I lower my telepathic shields as if testing my theory and expecting a full blown psychic attack from Norden.

  I feel nothing unusual so I drop my shield completely. I briefly hold an internal debate with myself on whether I should use my ability. I decided to use it to try and reach Markus.

  Markus, it’s Bg, can you hear me?

  I wait.

  Markus, It’s Bg, I heard you call out to me last night.

  The silence is deafening.

  Markus, It’s Bg, I’m coming for you.

  Can you hear me?

  I’m going to get you out of this mess.

  Markus I can’t lose you.

  I just, can’t. Not like this.

  You’ve always been here for me, now it’s mine turn to look after you brother.

  I wait anxiously for anything and listen to the white noise of nothing and my heart sinks a little more.

  Hold on Markus. Just hold on, I’m coming for you. I feel the tears welling in my eyes and I do my best to hold them back. If I break now, I may not build myself up again in time for the real fight.

  Markus?

  Of course it’s useless. But still, I just can’t let it go, the chance that I might connect with him again.

  Bg?

  My eyes widen in sheer surprise at the sound of his voice in my head.

  Yes, Markus is that you?

  Altijd. He says our pack credo, which I know Norden couldn’t possibly know because he doesn’t know me or anything about me. If he did, he wouldn’t have kidnapped me in the first place. Because if I get Markus and myself back to New York in one piece, and Norden escapes punishment for this. My family alone will ensure that something happens to him.

  It’s so good to hear you again.

  I smile externally and feel a lightness enter me. I know this isn’t over by a long shot, but this is exactly what I need to bolster me, to know my brother is alive and that I can reach him.

  You sound like you’re giving confessional. Markus says back at me.

  Do I really strike you as the church going type of good-girl? I joke back at him, happily.

  Definitely not. You’re more trouble than either Aksel or Bodil combined.

  Siblings, I mutter in my head back at him. I’ve got so many of you now, it’s like being in a whole new pack and only you truly know what I’m capable of. I laugh internally at him as he laughs back at me.

  Don’t smile when you laugh. I state at him. Whoever is watching you might clue into what you’re doing?

  I have no idea where I am. Markus says back at me seriously. I feel so damn stupid that they got me so easily. I was sleeping in the car, they just opened the door I was leaning against, I fell half out and they grabbed me. Put a hand over my mouth, got my legs and threw me in their car. Talk about shameful ways to get kidnapped.

  I feel anger surge up inside me. It’s not your fault, you know that. Besides, I state at him, I got tranquillized in the back while running away. Not exactly a werewolf’s greatest moment of ferocity.

  Markus laughs back at me lightly.

  I’m coming for you Markus. Hold tight.

  Not going anywhere Bg, not without you. Markus replies back at me and I just about break down completely at the love in his words. This is my brother, he is my heart as I am his soul.

  Markus, what can you tell me about Norden and his pack or anything about where they’ve taken you?

  Paris walks back into the bedroom doorway. “Do you want grape or cherry soda?” He asks holding up two cans of soda. I hold up a hand and wave him off and continue to sit still, listening to Markus inside my head.

  “Bg?” I wave him off again
.

  He stills watching me and he waits until I finish my talk with Markus before I smile softly to myself and then gather my wits about me again and refrain from feeling teary. I look over at Paris.

  “Cherry, thanks.” He throws it to me and I catch in one hand.

  “I thought we agreed using telepathy was too risky right now.” Paris says to me, walking into the room, as I pull back the ring top on the can.

  “It was Markus. I reached out to him.”

  “Are you sure it was Markus and not just Norden playing another one of his psychological games on you?” Paris says angrily. I stand up and scull a mouthful of soda.

  “I’m sure. It was Markus. I think Norden’s incapable of such heartfelt sincerity and besides, it was Markus’s voice. Norden can’t do that.”

  “But how do you know Bg?” Paris argues with me. “How do you know? You’ve only just started exploring this ability and its possibilities. Norden’s been using his abilities for decades.”

  I am getting tired of Paris’s anger at me, I need to focus. He is supposed to be on my side, supporting me, helping me, not questioning everything I am doing to get my brother back to me.

  “Faith, Paris, faith.” I state standing up and walking over to him. “You should try it some time.” I go to brush past him but he grabs my arm.

  “Oh hell no you don’t.” He growls at me. “Get it out Bg, to my face.” I shake out of his grasp as he moves to block the doorway. “It’s the only way you’re getting past me and out of this room before nightfall. So come on she-wolf, come at me.”

  I can’t believe we’re fighting. We don’t fight, how is this happening? Why now?

  “If our situation was different, and it was Wiatt with Norden, you would do everything in your capabilities to get your baby brother back to you as soon as possible. I’m doing the same.”

  “You’re already taking risks. We agreed that telepathic communication could be hijacked and was a high risk for Norden getting to you.” Paris fires back at me. “We agreed!” He roars at me.

  “I had to take the chance, compared to being face to face with Norden, it was a low risk probability. So yeah, I decided to risk myself. It wasn’t much to ask in order to find out if my brother was still alive!” I scream back at him. Two can be angry here if he wants to pay this game I have as much right as him, if not more.

  “Don’t go off game plan Bg,” Paris says sternly. “You’ve always been a smart strategist, don’t unravel now.”

  “Unravel?” I utter back at him.

  “Stay focused a bit longer, and in few hours, we’ll get Markus back.” Paris says trying to soften his tone of voice with me. “But let me do the risky stuff okay? It’s what I’m good for.” He says firming up his voice again. “It’s part of what an alpha werewolf does. The real alphas.”

  My eyes widen. “So now I’m not worthy of being called alpha? Is that it?”

  “Damn it Bg, that’s not it. Don’t twist my words with different intent.” Paris says moving closer to me. “You’re right, we’ve never fought side by side before like this, because we’ve never had to. I was hoping, it’d always be that way. We wouldn’t have to, that I could manage the fighting for us.” He lowers himself so he’s kneeling before me. Putting his soda drink aside on the carpet.

  “I’m in this fight because I need to be. Not because I want to be.” I say as calmly as I can back at him. “I’m not looking for fame and glory and a legend tag tacked onto my name. I don’t want a new moniker. I’m not out to create history. I just want my brother back with me and my family whole.”

  Paris lets out a heavy sigh of relief. “And I want you with me, always, so we can have a family Bg.”

  I lean down and kiss him. “Don’t you get it? You’ve never not had me. Even when I’m mad and crazy emotional.” I say softly. “I am yours, my alpha, Altjid.”

  41

  Nightfall cannot come soon enough. The hours pass by so slowly that I think fate must have it in for me.

  The anxiousness I feel is starting to seep out of me. I can see Phelan glancing over at me every now and then. He must be feeling it. It must be irritating. I try to reign it in.

  I start re-thinking over every part of the plan and my strategy. I know it’s stupid. It’s too late really not to go through with this. I cannot allow doubt into my head. Not now. Not when Markus is counting on me. Shit.

  I glance over at Paris. At least we’re not fighting against one another anymore. Still I’m not sure he’s all that happy with me. The five of us don’t know what else to do but wait and get as much information out of Aubrey as we can about the land and the wolves around there.

  We could go out to the forest early and scope it out so we really knew the run of the land, but if we did that, Norden would just show up early and we can’t do that.

  Whilst all of us are able to shape shift at will, at any time, it will go smoother, faster and we will be stronger, later on tonight. That’s just how it works.

  All the boys change clothing into gear they don’t mind tearing up and having ruined if they have to shape shift in their clothing. It can be done, our shift is likely to just break our clothing, rip it apart, still, we try not to trash our wardrobes on a regular basis.

  It’s why we pack spare clothes in our vehicles so that when we come to, wherever we are we can get our clothes and leave without causing alarm or interest with the Nons who might be around at the time.

  We do what prep we can. Which is to say is we theorize how Norden and his wolves will come in and how we can take them out. It’s ambitious, overly ambitious even, but I don’t believe we have any better options. Even if we can’t stem the tide of Norden’s pack coming at us, we might distract them enough for Markus to get an opportunity to get out of their paws.

  “I’m coming with you.” Aubrey says suddenly, tensing up as she stands tight in the living room where we’re all trying to chill out and failing, in.

  Paris’s head snaps straight to her. “I still believe I made the right call in not proclaiming this to not be a Quebec Pack issue to fight. But that doesn’t mean I can’t make my own personal decisions in life either.” She says looking Paris in the eyes.

  “Thank you.” I say softly at her and she looks over at me.

  “I know the grounds you’re going to. Let’s face it, in any battle you are better off knowing what you are actually up against. I can help.”

  “Can you fight?” Thane asks the obvious question.

  Aubrey looks offended, her face is deadly serious and angry. Paris bursts out laughing at him and keeps laughing, Aubrey starts laughing too. We all look at one another and back at the laughing cousins.

  “Yeah,” She says between bursts of laughter. “I can fight.”

  “Good, because we need all the fighters we can get.” I state softly, from my chair pushing up out of it. I don’t see what they’re laughing about, for me this situation is far more serious. I’m very personally invested in it. I leave the living room and hear the laughter die off as I do.

  I walk out onto the front porch and look out into the street. The screen to the front door bangs behind me and I glance over my shoulder. Phelan walks out and over to stand beside me.

  We stand side by side in silence for a good two minutes.

  “Some people let of steam that way, you know. I’m sure she didn’t mean any offence.”

  “I know.” I reply. “It’s just, I’m not doing this for shits and giggles. Markus is with Norden and I was in that fucks head.”

  “Preaching to the choir, I know he is all kinds of fucked up.” Phelan says softly. “And we need to get Markus back sooner rather than later.” He says glancing at me.

  The door bangs open again and Paris walks out, jerking his head at Phelan to leave us alone. Phelan goes back inside the house and I’m left with my pack mate.

  “I’m sorry sweetheart, I didn’t mean anything by that. Neither did Aubrey, she feels terrible about you being out here because of us.” />
  “Just stay focused on the mission, do what you want in the meantime, I don’t care. I care about getting Markus back.” I state at him, walking off on him and down the front steps of the house, onto the grounds.

  I go for a walk around the house. I can’t wander off anywhere else, otherwise Norden and his werewolves might just throw a god damn spanner in my works and then we’d truly be screwed.

  Paris leaves me to my own company and I go over the plan yet again in my head. Divide and conquer. That is what we’re going for. We’re going to divide the pack werewolves and Norden up. At least I’m going, that’s my job.

  To get into Norden’s head, again and use all his evil against him. I’d prefer to be able to get into the heads of his pack werewolves, but I just don’t think I can manage it.

  But if I can get in Norden’s head, then I can keep his focus on me, while the boys bait and distract the other werewolves, Paris and Addison can get to Markus.

  Even as I go over the way we’d do it I know its a weak plan at best. But it is all we have besides each other and now Aubrey. It will have to do.

  42

  When I walk back into the house, it’s not quite a somber affair, there is murmurings and talk until I walk back into the room with the map and everyone standing around it.

  “What?”

  “We have a new recruit,” Paris says sticking his thumb out and pointing to Anouk.

  “Do you honestly know what you’re getting yourself into?” I ask her seriously. I won’t have her death on my conscious if this all goes to hell in hand basket. “This ain’t no snatch and grab.”

  Aubrey looks across at her sister. “Well?”

  Anouk looks at me and lowers her chin and eye line. A sign of werewolf respect to an Alpha werewolf. “Yes. I’d do the same if it were my family.”

  “We aren’t even sure of the number of wolves that Norden is going to unleash on us. We’re assuming its his entire pack just to be prepared. Norden is the main target, but we need to weaken his pack so we can get to him and to Markus. You need to follow our lead. We’re not looking to leave casualties or live bodies behind.”